Biden offers praise for N.Y.'s Sandy rebuilding plan

With federal funds, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo hopes to transform New York's aging roads, bridges and tunnels and increase emergency preparedness when future storms hit.

Vice President Joe Biden was in Albany, N.Y., on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014, with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for a discussion on the state's rebuilding efforts after Superstorm Sandy. The state plans to use $6 billion in federal disaster funds for relief and rebuilding it has already received on Cuomo's $17 billion rebuilding plan.(Photo: Mike Groll, AP)

Story Highlights

New York has received $6 billion of the approved $60 billion in post-Sandy emergency aid

Cuomo's $17 billion plan would fund more than 1,000 projects in the state

Biden said the governor's plan will help state rebuild and grow the economy

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Vice President Joe Biden traveled to the capital of New York on Tuesday and praised a massive plan by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to use federal disaster aid to remake the state's infrastructure to withstand future storms.

Cuomo unveiled a $17 billion plan that he said would transform New York's aging roads, bridges and tunnels and increase emergency preparedness when future storms hit. It would fund more than 1,000 projects.

The state has dealt with three major storms since 2011. Tropical storms Irene and Lee destroyed parts of the Southern Tier, Mohawk Valley and Catskills in late 2011, while Superstorm Sandy hit the New York City area in October 2012. Cuomo said the state has had nine federally declared disasters since he took office in 2011.

"Extreme weather is the new reality," Cuomo said with Biden at his side in the ornate Red Room. "And we have to deal with it."

Cuomo said the state would start by using $6 billion in federal aid it has already secured. The plan includes boosting New York's weather detection system and increasing the number of weather stations from 27 to 125. The state also plans to establish the nation's first public college on emergency preparedness and replace and repair 104 bridges at risk of flooding.

Cuomo said the state plans to implement the largest reconstruction of its transit system in a century, using $5 billion in federal funds. Cuomo said he wants to expand a program across the state that requires gas stations near major highways to have back-up power systems; there are already 1,000 back-up systems in the New York City area. Fuel shortages were a major problem after Sandy.

“The governor knows that we not only have to re-imagine New York for a New York reality, we have to re-imagine America for an American reality. ”

Vice President Joe Biden

He also said the state would seek to add 100,000 citizen volunteers to respond to major storms, as well as expand the state's energy grid.

"We want to have the best weather detection system in the country," Cuomo said. "It is essential that we have this kind of information, and we believe it will save lives and protect property."

After watching a presentation on New York's plan, Biden was effusive in his praise of Cuomo. Both are potential presidential candidates in 2016.

Biden complimented Cuomo for his "foresight here and your ingenuity." He said New York's plan would help the state rebuild after the storm and grow the economy. He cited the Erie Canal and other New York projects as showing how the state has led before in development.

"I think you're rebuilding New York, re-imaging a future, is essentially what we need to do in this country," said Biden. "You're leading. You're not just leading in New York, you're leading the country."

Biden said that too often governments have rebuilt after storms the same way things had been previously. But he said that in order to compete in the global economy of the 21st century, the country needs to use government funds to stay ahead of its competitors.

"We have to rebuild in a way that you cannot be victimized by a similar storm again," Biden said. "Because if we don't, then we're wasting money."

“We want to have the best weather detection system in the country. It is essential that we have this kind of information and we believe it will save lives and protect property.”

The Democratic governor expressed frustration with the state's current weather-detection system. He said it has been inaccurate at times and has led his administration to send resources to parts of the state that ultimately were not hit with severe weather.

Cuomo also said he wants to create the SUNY College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cyber Security, a school dedicated to responding to disasters.

In New York City, Cuomo said the state will work to develop a system that will allow it to quickly seal off the city's more than 500 subway tunnels in the event of an emergency. Many tunnels in lower Manhattan were flooded by Sandy, causing major damage to the mass-transit system.

In upstate New York, Cuomo said he wants to spend some of the federal funds to rebuild or replace 100 bridges to make them more flood-resistant.

Biden said spending on infrastructure creates "economic growth" and "middle-class jobs." President Barack Obama is calling for an extra $50 billion in infrastructure spending, Biden said.

"The governor knows that we not only have to re-imagine New York for a New York reality, we have to re-imagine America for an American reality," Biden said. "And the reality is we have to get back on our game."